Wading In

April 25, 2012 | Library measure deserves our support Posted by Kelvin Wade Fiscally, Fairfield is like a lot of households: Getting bills in the mail, dodging bill collectors on the phone and cutting out anything remotely fun. The city is in a financial crisis. Our foreclosure rate is virtually unparalleled in the country. Huge cuts have been enacted and potentially devastating cuts may be in our future. But all isn’t lost. We still can help preserve our library system by passing Measure L, the eighth-cent sales tax renewal this June. Folks who want to get a head start on supporting the libraries can do so this weekend. Winterhawk Winery (4537 Abernathy Road in Fairfield) has joined with the Solano County Library Foundation to host a fundraiser for our libraries from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. There’s going to be live music by Cold Shot playing dance hits and a wide variety of songs to appeal to all ages. There’s barbecue so you can get your grub on. And of course, there’ll be wine t...

April 19, 2012 | Time to quit the Umbrage Game Posted by Kelvin Wade Last week, Hilary Rosen, a woman almost no one has heard of, blasted Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s wife Ann as having “never worked a day in her life.” It was a stupid way to make her point because obviously Mrs. Romney, having married into wealth, chose to stay home and raise five children. Everyone understood Rosen was talking about working a job outside the home, but it didn’t matter because the Umbrage Game was on. That’s the game where we pretend to be outraged to score cheap political points. With our nation in trouble how could we have time for these silly games? Members of Congress were prepared to default on our debt last year. The Bush tax cuts expire for everyone at the end of this year. The Affordable Care Act may be struck down, kicking millions out of their health care plans and leaving those with preexisting conditions to fend for themselves. Plus we’re still at war in Afghanistan (and o...

April 12, 2012 | Fairfield Daily Republic Save the arts, save the city Posted by Kelvin Wade One of the victims of Fairfield’s $5.5 million in cuts is the Center for Creative Arts, slated to close for performances July 1. I realize that for many people, the cuts to city jobs and accompanying services, reduction of overtime to first responders and cuts to street maintenance are greater worries. But the arts play an important role in Fairfield’s identity. Let’s be honest. Fairfield’s reputation is that it’s the “new Vallejo.” I’ve heard that from Fairfielders and from people who don’t live here. Rightly or wrongly, Fairfield has been in the regional news for negative reasons in years past — before this year’s murders and gang violence. A vibrant arts community is part of our counterargument. What attracts new residents to a city is low crime, good schools, good neighborhoods, amenities and an active community. Plays, concerts, art shows and other performances downtown are part of what ma...

April 05, 2012 | Fairfield Daily Republic A safe and sane solution Posted by Kelvin Wade John Adams thought Independence Day would and should be celebrated by future generations of Americans. He wrote, “It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” Suisun City is doing its part to keep those festivities going by working to allow the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks at three stands within city limits. In Solano County, only Dixon and Rio Vista sell legal “safe and sane” fireworks. Safe and sane fireworks are sparklers, cones and other fireworks that aren’t aerial like bottle rockets and don’t explode like firecrackers and M80s. The community plans to bring in more than $80,000 in fireworks sales to help finance community events, specifically the Fourth of July celebration, which is Suisun City’s biggest event of the year. Nonprofit ...